Tag!

Melanie kinda sorta tagged me. (She tagged everyone.) The rules are to go into your fourth picture folder and select your fourth picture and tell about it. So here's mine:
Junior Asparagus!

This is from our fun day at the fair last month. Awww, isn't he a cutie? The kids all loved watching the Veggie Tales live show. I would totally reccomend it to anyone out there with little Veggie fans. We cheered and sang along until we were hoarse and the kids danced in the aisles.

Good times.

I tag everyone reading this. (And hey, I check your blogs...so I'll know if you don't. Then I'll cry.)

Overheard x2

Garrett (walking in the door): "Scientist in the houuuuuuuuuuuuuuse!"

(Yep, we like Sid the Science Kid here.)

And for your reading pleasure, yet another Overheard from yesterday. We were a-laugh-a-minute, I tell ya.

McKay (as visitor came into the house): What's your name? (He does know her name, but was just asking.)

K (the visitor): My name is K, how are you today McKay?

McKay: It was nice to meet you, now go away.

Now, at the time I very quickly told McKay that was not a polite thing to say. I kept a very serious face and instructed him that he should say, "Please come in and have a seat."

But here on my blog I can chuckle a little.

Hee hee.

My pretty ballerina

Hannah is taking a dance class. I signed her up today. It really was a foregone conclusion that she's take dance after she found out that 3 of her friends (the other girls in the carpool) were taking a dance class right after school.

She was just overjoyed at the whole thing. She did find the tap shoes a little slippery, but overall she was very attentive and worked hard for the whole hour. Sometimes her attention can wander, so I was pleased that she was so focused.

I am also happy because there is a dance carpool going on too, so that makes it a bit easier.

However, so add drama to our story, I had to bring Garrett and Ella along to sign Hannah up and we stayed to watch, since parents are only allowed to watch on the 1st Tues. of the month. But Garrett started getting restless at about the 40 minute mark. Really, I am proud that a 2-year-old boy lasted THAT long just sitting and watching. But to prevent a distraction to the dancers, I rounded up Garrett and Ella and was going to wait in the van with them for the last bit. But Garrett was having none of it. All of his 40 minutes of patience had been exhausted. So while I held his hand, the baby carrier, my camera and all its gear, my planner, the papers from the dance studio, and my keys, Garrett decided to play "Garrett-the-amazing-boneless-toddler" and go limp. So, before I knew it he was dangling from my hand. His arm popped and he started SHRIEKING. I knew he had a nursemaid's elbow--where the elbow dislocates--and it common among the toddler set.

I made a hasty escape from the studio and put Ella in the van and emptied my arms and surveyed the scene. It looked pretty bad. Garrett was holding his arm and wailing, "You hurt my arm!! You hurt my arm!!" (Can I admit I was not enthused at the idea of taking him to the ER with him wailing, "You hurt my arm!!!"? Yeah, I wasn't. But I AM admitting that openly in cyberspace. Hmmm.) Anyway, the nursemaid's elbow happened to Michael about 6 times. Half of the time it popped back in before we got to the doctor and the other half they just twisted it gently. So, I tried. I very gently rotated Garrett's forearm inwards and felt it all slip back into place. The crying stopped immediately and he said, "You say sorry for hurting my arm, mom." I was sorry. Once I apologized that he had been hurt, all was well with the world again.

Whew.

So that is the exciting first day of Hannah's dance education. I do hope the rest are less dramatic.

Not perfect, but...

ALL FIVE AT ONCE!!

And they are even looking my way--mostly. I'll take it!

I got my settings down a little better as I tried for a few more shots, but by that point the kids were d.o.n.e. Oh, well. I got all 5 in ONE picture! Yay!

And as a bonus Michael stayed still and let me take a couple pictures of him. This is SO big to me. He is very unsure of the camera. He hates the flash, and usually when I ask him to let me take his picture, he says, "I'm to sleepy (busy, too much homework, etc.)", so this has me jumping up and down!



Isn't he a handsome fella?

Come What May and Love It

Joseph B. Withlin just gave a great talk based on this phrase coined by his mother. He told many wonderful stories about things not turning out as planned, but how they were embraced. He spoke of his grandson Joseph who has autism and how it has been hard, but how he has been a wonderful part of the family.

Come what may and love it. This may have been our family's motto--just without us knowing it.

Our family portrait

Psyche! (Thought I'd flaunt my age there.)

I have tried and tried to get all FIVE kids into ONE picture. It has not happened. 1) Darwin works late and so there is not good light when he is home to help me wrangle. 2) McKay likes to walk out of pictures. 3) Ella is unsure of being held by siblings when she can see Mommy clearly in front of her. 4) Michael is done with attempted pictures approximately 7.2 seconds after the aforesaid attempt begins. 5) Having all 5 kids clothed at the same time has proven to be an insurmountable challenge.

So, when I saw the four rubber boots outside my door, I could not resist adding Ella's little boots, thus insinuating that I DO have 5 children.

So, if you come into my house and see this picture displayed as a family picture, you'll know why. :P

Walmart Woes

*grumble*

Normally, I'd be all nice and say, "I went to a certain store today...and I had a bad experience", but honestly, I'm grumpy. So, yeah.

Walmart is just on my bad list lately.

First, on Sunday morning VERY early, Hannah woke up vomiting violently. So after getting things somewhat under control, Darwin ventured off to pick up some soda for Hannah to sip. It was about 4 am.

Darwin walked towards the store and two of the employees were on their break, smoking in the front of the store, and they yelled at him, "Go back to your cardboard box!!" I guess he might have looked untidy as he was roused from sound sleep at about 3 am to help his vomiting daughter and then proceeded to go get soda to help her stay hydrated without passing Go or getting a shower or fresh clothes. But come on...it's 4 am!

Besides, if homeless people can't go buy food or whatever at Walmart, where SHOULD they go? Rude.

Then today I stopped by there because I needed some food items AND non-food items and I was short on time. So I stopped by Walmart. Ugh.

Hannah wanted to spend some of her birthday money and Garrett was also getting a toy for filling up his check list.

The toy aisle had NO toys! Well, ok they had SOME. But they were all over $20. Almost no Little People. Hardly any Barbies. Only expensive, noisy ones. But, to add to the fun experience, there were ads on the ends of the aisles that were so loud. Ella was asleep and we walked by one and it started growling, and singing and just...being loud. She woke up promptly.

And finally, I WAS pondering buying a new CF card and SD card for my cameras...but they had locked them onto the racks, and when I asked the Walmart person at the camera counter how to get one to buy, he told me he had to unlock them, but he couldn't because he was busy. So, nevermind, I'll get them elsewhere. (They aren't that fast anyway, so he probably saved me from being frusterated in the end...)

So, I know I am usually cheerful. But gosh, Walmart sure put a damper on it for me. (And poor Darwin, I know he needs a haircut...but homeless?)